tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75833737801531055732015-04-01T01:40:19.131+11:00vegan about townstephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.comBlogger642125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-76738358729567136532015-03-20T11:16:00.000+11:002015-03-20T11:31:02.045+11:00lemon myrtle and macadamia nut biscuits<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Housemate Bella has some AMAZING biscuit recipes up her sleeve, and this is one of them. It's one of my favourites because a) LEMON MYRTLE, b) we have a lemon myrtle tree. If you don't have a lemon myrtle tree, you can just buy them ground. No pictures because they didn't really turn out but you must eat these ASAP. I'm eating one right now.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><b>Lemon myrtle and macadamia nut biscuits</b></span><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">You will need:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">200g vegan margarine</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">100g white sugar</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">225g macadamias (chopped)</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">225g flour</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">some lemon myrtle leaves (fresh or dried)</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">If you're not using a blender, chop the macadamias and lemon myrtle leaves first.&nbsp;</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Method:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Preheat your oven to 200<span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 15px;">°C</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 15px;">Cream margarine and sugar (in a blender or with a whisk). Add your macadamias and mix until all the pieces are blended in.&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 15px;">Mix in your lemon myrtle leaves.&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Add your flour. Mixture should be a bit crumbly but stick together well.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Roll into balls roughly the size of a golf ball.&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Put them on a tray greased or lined with baking paper.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Bake for 10-15 mins, until they're a little bit brown on top.&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Wait until the tray is cool, then put them on a cooling rack.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #343435; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-7208215096438855712014-12-21T16:55:00.001+11:002014-12-21T16:55:36.576+11:00misc christmas party nomsThe flattie (Bella) and I hosted a Christmas party last night! We did minimal catering because we were too busy and I only got home at 1700 and our first guest arrived at 1805 (as per our invites), but I did prepare a few things.<br /><br />I made <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com.au/2007/04/april-18-2007-crunchy-chewy-chocolate.html">crunchy chewy clusters</a>, which I've been obsessed with ever since Cindy first introduced me to them (at the same time as I introduced her to If You Are the One, so it was a fair trade). HIGHLY RECOMMEND.<br /><br />I basically only sort of use Cindy and Michael's recipe, and what I made last night was so amazing that when I tried to pack the last handful away, Ral scooted up to me and shoved them all in his mouth.<br /><br />I melt <b>100g of dark chocolate couverture</b>. While it's melting I combine <b>a cup worth of dried fruit</b>, usually goji berries, white mulberries, and 3 or so dried bananas (note these are like liquorice rather than banana chips), diced small, with a third of a cup of cashews. When the chocolate is melted I add <b>a pinch of salt</b> and a <b>third of a cup of&nbsp;desiccated&nbsp;coconut</b>, then mix the fruit and nuts until they're all covered. Put them on a baking tray that has baking paper on it (important! for non-stick), and then fridge them for an hour. Done. Delicious. So much yum.<br /><br />I also made <a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2009/05/picnic-food-pizza-pinwheels.html">pizza pinwheels</a>, <a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/ginger-and-five-spice-biscuits.html">ginger and five spice biscuits</a> cut into sharks and penguins, and gluten free <a href="http://www.vegbitch.com/2007/08/18/swedish-jamfilled-thumbprint-cookies/">Swedish jam thumbprint cookies</a>, and that's a recipe I've been using forever and highly recommend.<br /><br />There's no picture of the food, so here's a picture of us in our Christmas party clothes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2NI6w4t68U/VJZgnz8BnRI/AAAAAAAAAho/GEH0NhznNgI/s1600/yay%2Bwings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2NI6w4t68U/VJZgnz8BnRI/AAAAAAAAAho/GEH0NhznNgI/s1600/yay%2Bwings.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-28314796272236770962014-09-28T08:48:00.000+10:002014-10-04T09:47:57.866+10:00CANCELLED: VegMel Picnic! <div>OH NO WE ARE CANCELLING THIS EVENT. Please stand by for rescheduling. Sorry for the short notice!&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>!!</div><div><br /></div>VEGMEL IS FIVE. It happened about two weeks ago, so five and a bit, but birthdays can last for ages.<br /><br />To celebrate, as we do every year, we are having a picnic!<br /><br />Come for vegan noms, friendly vego faces, and to talk crap. We'll be in Princes Park, up near the bowls club and the pond. Bring a vegan plate and a picnic blanket, or just yourself.<br /><br />This event is open to all, not just bloggers. It's always fun! (I promise)<br /><br />Sunday, October 5<br />1pm - 4pm<br />Princes Park<br />near the bowls club<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/812456758806010">Facebook event</a>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-87102313243610955332014-08-11T20:48:00.002+10:002014-08-11T22:15:30.314+10:00comfort, lazy noodle soup and other favourite comfort foodsA friend asked me for my top five favourite things to cook, and I listed them as follows:<br /><br /><a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/curry-mee-or-curry-laksa.html">Laska</a><br /><a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/kind-of-like-kapitan-curry-thing.html">Kari Kapitan</a>&nbsp;(often with oyster mushrooms and firm tofu instead of the mock chicken)<br /><a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/slow-cooked-lentil-ragu-with-fettucine.html">Lentil Ragu</a>&nbsp;+ long pasta (sometimes also with tempeh)<br /><a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/yellow-dahl.html">yellow Dahl</a><br /><a href="http://veganabouttown.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/pasta-salad-with-five-spice-tempeh.html">Pasta Salad</a> made with whatever is in the house (and, hopefully, five spice tempeh)<br /><br />However then I realised I had missed one, because I have never previously blogged it; mostly, because I have never considered it worth blogging. Here, then, is one of the laziest things in my cooking repertoire: noodle soup.<br /><br />Please note that when I say lazy, I mean it is lazy for me. Your laziness may vary. It is also a very flexible, forgiving recipe. You can add and subtract as you deem necessary (though I really mean it about the star anise).<br /><br />makes: about two portions<br /><br />ingredients:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1JWTRowxQE/U-ieP10ZMdI/AAAAAAAAAc0/tgnGqlLrpCQ/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1JWTRowxQE/U-ieP10ZMdI/AAAAAAAAAc0/tgnGqlLrpCQ/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>2 star anise<br />1 carrot<br />2 or 3 bok choy (or a whole lot of chinese cabbage)<br />dark soy (you don't want it to go dark brown but you want it shaded - 3 tablespoons? less? something like that)<br />2 fresh chillis<br />5 cups water<br />1 tsp dry powdered stock, if you have it<br />1 inch fresh ginger, washed but not peeled<br /><br />whatever noodles or tofu or frozen dumplings you have lying around the house, suitable for 2 people<br />any other vegies or whatever that you deem appropriate<br /><br />method:<br />Bring water to a boil in a pot. In the meantime julienne the carrot, saving the ends; cut off the ends of the bok choy. Throw these ends, plus the star anise, soy, chilli, stock and ginger into the pot. Reduce heat and let simmer for twenty minutes, lid on but ajar. When it smells AMAZING, add your vegetables and noodles and dumplings as appropriate. I like to use a stick of rice noodles and two cakes of yellow mee, already soaked in hot water and rinsed to remove the starch. If I'm using firm tofu I'll add it at the same time as the carrots to give it the opportunity to soak in the flavour. Add the bok choy leaves and stems separate from each other, but near the end. But not so near the end that they're not soft. SOFT BOK CHOY/CHINESE CABBAGE IS LIFE.<br /><br />Ahem.<br /><br />Remove the star anise, carrot ends and ginger before serving, unless you really want to eat boiled star anise (I don't recommend it).<br /><br />I often eat with extra soy+chilli sauce that I make at the beginning of the process, which gives the chilli and the soy time to infuse each other.<br /><br />This stock, with the same things but bigger proportions, is good for all sorts of chinese vego cooking. Also add garlic cloves (peeled) and oyster mushrooms to the stock while it's going for a fuller flavour. Very authentic. TRUST ME. TRUST THIS AZN FACE.<br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-63824538718653093822014-07-08T11:47:00.000+10:002014-07-08T11:47:03.763+10:00bare burger [various locations, nyc]My first and last nights in NYC saw me dining on food from Bare Burger. After being collected from La Guardia and depositing my belongings, I walked with my hosts to Bare Burger in Astoria, where the staff were friendly and delightful, offering advice, opinions and the ingredients list as required.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzkrkQ1j77U/U7tMOQB4KcI/AAAAAAAAAZU/eM_Hgun0zYQ/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzkrkQ1j77U/U7tMOQB4KcI/AAAAAAAAAZU/eM_Hgun0zYQ/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" height="320" width="236" /></a>We started with two serves of fries: one sweet potato (or "yam", which is often not actually yam), and one of not sweet potato. This is served with a whole lot of sauces, which our waiter kindly replaced with some other options, more vegan, for me.<br /><br />Bare Burger has a whole lot of options, but both times I've eaten there now I delighted in the Barest of Burgers, which is where you get to pick everything! I went with the wholemeal bun and filled it with this amazing black bean patty, smoke house sauce, avocado, tomato, spinach and mushrooms.<br /><br />I'm not ashamed to say that tonight, my last night in NYC, we stayed in to do some work and ordered delivery from Bare Burger and I ordered something very, very similar. It was a good nom choice, as they also do gluten-free and were totally lovely. (Also there is vegan cake on the dessert menu)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bareburger.com/">Bare Burger</a><br />33-21 31st Avenue (also has other locations)<br />Astoriastephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-46422218231769892782014-07-03T10:02:00.000+10:002014-07-03T10:02:01.139+10:00grasslands [toronto]<div class="p1">I know it’s a big call, but breakfast at Grasslands was the best meal I had during my time in Canada, despite the amazing pie at The Wallflower.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">At first we were really only going because it was one of the few places that could cater for vegans and coeliacs and also took bookings. But it was so good. SO. GOOD.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vFXXn-A8z0/U7ScDUjsLrI/AAAAAAAAAZI/_HLQAhvKzHc/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vFXXn-A8z0/U7ScDUjsLrI/AAAAAAAAAZI/_HLQAhvKzHc/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Having had a big night before (we got back to our accommodation at well after midnight, having consumed many alcohols, spent the day in the sun, and hung out in an indoor hotel pool for many hours), it was with a gentle stride that we navigated our way on public transport to Grasslands, located on Queen Street West.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">We arrived to find a beautiful puppy lying across the doorstep, and I fell upon a lovely coffee.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="text-align: center;">I wanted to eat everything on the menu, but in the end went for the Hangover Helper, on the grounds that I was a bit delicate. The Hangover Helper is comprised of scrambled tofu (with mushrooms and daiya cheese), salsa, guacamole, spinach (which I asked to be withheld), toast, chips, salad and watermelon.&nbsp;The tofu was a lovely texture with the daiya adding a slightly cheesy creamyness. The salsa and guacamole added a nice little flavour, and then I added a big of sriracha sauce for a little spice and it was perrrrfect. The salad was bland but a nice addition to the friedness of the rest of it, and finishing it off with three slices of watermelon was just right.&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">ALSO AMAZING: the bite of french toast I had; the bite of gluten-free waffle I had, so light and fluffy and, as Dr F said, you couldn't tell it was gf + vegan at all (unlike the pancakes at Fresh, so sad).&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">I am disappointed that I didn't get a chance to return to Grasslands. If you get a chance, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://www.grasslands.to/">Grasslands</a></div><div class="p2">478 Queen St W</div><div class="p2">Toronto</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">Stairs to enter and down to the toilets. Payment at the table. CC accepted. Lighting okay but it was daytime. &nbsp;Get there on the streetcar. Service really helpful and lovely.&nbsp;</div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-52082089048203550542014-07-01T11:21:00.001+10:002014-07-01T11:22:40.070+10:00fresh on bloor [toronto]<div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4jd-XW0e28/U7ILvNzdwbI/AAAAAAAAAYo/YAwj7Wc8L1g/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4jd-XW0e28/U7ILvNzdwbI/AAAAAAAAAYo/YAwj7Wc8L1g/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>Being located close to my Toronto accommodation, and being a vegetarian restaurant with a weekend brunch option, we ended up at Fresh on Bloor. Fresh has four locations and makes some really interesting dishes and juices, with a menu I was super in to.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">So, after a morning wandering the queer area of downtown Toronto and getting interviewed on Toronto TV re: Pride (during which I admired a unicorn costume as "like being bi, because we don't exist, we're either one or the other" and said "Canadia"), Tris and I wandered down to Fresh and met up with some of the other members of our girl gang.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8eAXyOwwiKc/U7ILm6sn-VI/AAAAAAAAAYk/oqTM1TvrRH4/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8eAXyOwwiKc/U7ILm6sn-VI/AAAAAAAAAYk/oqTM1TvrRH4/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a>Several Australians insisted I order a “bowl” at Fresh, and despite Fi demanding I order the beach bowl, instead I was drawn to the green goddess bowl, with broccoli, tempeh, sunflower seeds and kale and bok choy in tahini and ginger tamari sauce. I ordered the baby size, with udon noodles. It was SO GOOD and the perfect size and I must make it as soon as I get home, I loved the sauce and the beautiful fresh raw broccoli and the sunflower seeds. With warm udon but raw veggies, it was perfect for a humid Toronto afternoon, before we adventured on to the Bata Shoe Museum (also an excellent use of my Toronto time). I also went with the gingersnap power shake, matcha, ginger, strawberry, blueberry, banana, maple syrup and almond milk. It was very unexpected and strong but I loved it.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">We noticed a breakfast menu and returned when Fresh opened at 10:30 on Sunday in order to sample it. After the amazing lunch on Friday, followed by a stunning brunch at the vegan Grasslands on Saturday (more on that in another post), I had high hopes. Sadly, it was not able to reach the heights of the previous meals, with my banana nut pancake platter (2 pancakes, tofu scramble, tempeh bacon) a bit average. The pancakes were vegan and gluten free and, as much as it pains me to say it, you could tell; and my coffee was sickly sweet.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67olB72GmQc/U7IME7DR-iI/AAAAAAAAAYw/QeCCR-dxdxc/s1600/freshpancakes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67olB72GmQc/U7IME7DR-iI/AAAAAAAAAYw/QeCCR-dxdxc/s1600/freshpancakes.png" height="200" width="200" /></a>So, Fresh. I would go back for lunch, to eat many of the things on the menu, and also for dinner; but I’d rethink the breakfast.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/">Fresh on Bloor</a></div><div class="p2">326 Bloor Street West</div><div class="p2">Toronto</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">(also other locations)</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Toilets down a flight of stairs. Step to enter; tightly packed tables. Ordering and CC/payments at the table. Good lighting.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="p2"><br /></div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-84136209276308233712014-06-29T13:36:00.001+10:002014-06-29T13:43:16.723+10:00magic oven [toronto]<div class="p1">Retrieved from the plane and escorted via PT to my home for my stay in Toronto, I gathered with my international girl gang at Magic Oven on Danforth Avenue in Toronto. Magic Oven is a delightful pizza restaurant that caters to a variety of diets (including vegan and gluten free), lets you modify anything as much as you wish, and allowed us to ask a million questions and stay for a long time as we drank wine and ate pizza.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Despite the presence of several good looking vegan pizzas on the menu, I decided to build my own. I went for a wholemeal base, with tomato + garlic sauce, daiya, sweet potato, thyme roasted mushrooms, and something infused spinach (I can’t remember, it was three days ago). It was so gooooooood. It was a really happy introduction to Toronto’s vegan food.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">There was also vegan cake and vegan mousse available but regrettably I was too full to even consider it.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">No pictures because you know what pizza looks like.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://www.magicoven.com/_welcome.php">Magic Oven</a>&nbsp;</div><div class="p1">798 Danforth Ave (and other locations)</div><div class="p1">Toronto&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><br /><div class="p1">Stairs everywhere. CC payment at table. Okay lighting. Super accommodating. We have started calling it Magic Coven and I like it. Would eat there again.&nbsp;</div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-38909780379656118352014-06-26T02:38:00.002+10:002014-06-26T02:38:12.573+10:00the wallflower [vancouver]<div class="p1">I found out about The Wallflower by accident, trying to find somewhere to eat in downtown Vancouver. Immediately I knew it was something I wanted to try: their vegan shepherd’s pie, the internet said, was EXCELLENT. (And it was)</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Overwhelmed by choice, E helped me out by suggesting we share a small poutine, which we did: as first poutines go, it was pretty excellent. I spent some time asking questions about how it compared to actual poutine and what an actual poutine contains (the closest I ever come is the Lord’s French Canadian), and A, an unrepentant meat eater and on-off resident of Canada for some time, says that it was pretty close.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">I also ordered a small mac and cheese, and, of course, the vegan shepherd’s pie. I couldn’t finish either, and I was worried I had made a mistake, but oh, my quokkas, I had not. The leftovers went into the fridge but they didn't remain there for very long, and it was with great delight that I ate them (and am thinking about that mac and cheese even now).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-8hBZ14sGs/U6r64F3RhAI/AAAAAAAAAYE/KNqSnv2h6_E/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-8hBZ14sGs/U6r64F3RhAI/AAAAAAAAAYE/KNqSnv2h6_E/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">The shepherd’s pie was heavy and meaty and filled with mushrooms and something ground, and gravy, and topped with a crispy, cheesy potato. The filling was peppery and spicy, and I usually hate pepper but it worked perfectly with the filling so I couldn’t help but want more. The mac and cheese was cheesy and creamy and I wanted to eat more but I also wanted to save it for my lunch the next day!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">The side salad was fine but covered in a grossly sweet vinegarette. Ugh. The salad did not come home with me.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">SO GOOD. RECOMMEND. Don’t look too closely at the wallpaper: it’s covered in wall flowers. The decor is oddddd but the toilets are nice and non-gendered. Service is pleasant.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"><a href="http://www.thewallflowermoderndiner.com/">The Wallflower</a></div><div class="p1">2420 Main Street</div><div class="p1">Vancouver</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">No bookings same day. Make sure you specify when you’re ordering vegan and they’re so good for it. Non-gendered toilet. Payment at the table, not sure about entry. Wide passage; booth seats available.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><br /></div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-36425124381793628762014-06-24T02:49:00.002+10:002014-06-24T02:49:41.369+10:00bandidas taqueria [vancouver]<div class="p1">Arriving at 11:00 on a Sunday morning we were in for a 15 minute wait for our party of 3, but after a little wander down the street (and an opportunity for me to look inside a Dollar Tree store) we were seated and served and out of there by 12:00 and I was pretty impressed.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X4k7f4pCTsg/U6hZ3CqoOqI/AAAAAAAAAXo/1uerVVA0JLw/s1600/photo+2+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X4k7f4pCTsg/U6hZ3CqoOqI/AAAAAAAAAXo/1uerVVA0JLw/s1600/photo+2+(1).png" height="237" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: center;">I couldn’t find this on the website but I was super excited to get to Bandidas Taqueria to discover it can all be veganised! At which point I struggled and struggled, and it was with some difficulty that I picked the muffins (two corn bread muffin tops, topped with guac, cheese, and fried tofu), to which I added roasted sweet potato + potato and veggie sausage. Please note: where the menu says ‘yams’ it lies; it means sweet potato.</span><br /><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">THIS WAS SO GOOD. I have been thinking about these corn bread muffins all day, thinking about making them when I get home, thinking about going there again, thinking about how much I love salsa and corn and guacamole and everything that this dish chooses to be.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Also they don’t do takeaway unless you bring your own; they emphasise their bike parking; their toilets have notes about bikes on them. And their cocktails sound delicious. If I had been with drinkers, I would have had something, never mind it being 11:20 when we ordered.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0rc5PJELuC4/U6hZ68G7JKI/AAAAAAAAAX0/0qj72mBerjQ/s1600/w.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0rc5PJELuC4/U6hZ68G7JKI/AAAAAAAAAX0/0qj72mBerjQ/s1600/w.png" height="235" width="320" /></a></div><div class="p2">Outside, we saw this ghost; maybe zie was hungover from haunting in the shortest night of the year.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://bandidastaqueria.com/">Bandidas Taqueria</a></div><div class="p2">2781 Commercial Drive</div><div class="p2">Vancouver</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Website says lots of bike parking out front but there could be more. Step to enter, noisy, hard to navigate. Visited in daylight so not sure about lighting. Can get there on PT as it’s close to Commercial-Broadway Station.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-9596438430292498052014-06-23T13:13:00.002+10:002014-06-23T13:13:37.528+10:003G Restaurant [vancouver]<div class="p1">MY GLOB I LOVE YUM CHA</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">We went to 3G in Vancouver and when we arrived at 11:30 on a Saturday morning it was EMPTY so I was unsure but Alex and Liz assured me it would be good and it was. 3G is a vego Chinese restaurant with clearly labeled vegan options (good work).&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8FjZyAnHV3w/U6eawL1P7pI/AAAAAAAAAXY/G2R16BpRxDY/s1600/g.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8FjZyAnHV3w/U6eawL1P7pI/AAAAAAAAAXY/G2R16BpRxDY/s1600/g.png" height="320" width="251" /></a></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">3G is fill in the boxes rather than come around with trolleys; we picked a selection of yum cha and lunch items, though a few (GLUTINOUS RICE WITH CHICKEN) were unavailable. From the yum cha menu we went: prawn dumplings (steamed), fried bok choy dumplings, fried tofu skin, sesame balls, char siu bao, fried meat puff and spring rolls. From the lunch menu we got chicken drumsticks and a fried noodles dish.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">This was a lovely start to my first full day in Vancouver. The chicken was very crispy, and surprisingly made of gluten rather than tofu skin (as I’m used to). The tofu skin fried was a highlight, it was like a murtabak in many ways, so light and crispy and filled with something delicious.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Baozi was light and fluffy and not too doughy, a nice ratio of dough to char siu.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><br /><div class="p2">The sesame balls and the meat puff were not my thing, made of that really chewy flour that I haaaate enduring at yum cha.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">Only one photo because you know what yum cha looks like: it looks like fried and/or steamed things. YES.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><a href="http://www.3g-veg-restaurant.com/">3G Restaurant</a></div><div class="p2">3424 Cambie Street</div><div class="p2">Vancouver</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">Ordering at the table, toilet hard to get to, no step to enter (I think? Maybe). Menu in English + Chinese characters. Not really much GF.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-60568483076936502882014-06-22T03:55:00.002+10:002014-06-22T09:59:27.525+10:00vegan about the world: the naam [vancouver]<div class="p1">First meal on the Great North American Adventure (more a medium-sized adventure, I guess, three cities in three weeks) was at The Naam, a 24 hour vegetarian restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kjvwNDSaYTs/U6XGuagPYHI/AAAAAAAAAWw/UqoiTzQwdXM/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kjvwNDSaYTs/U6XGuagPYHI/AAAAAAAAAWw/UqoiTzQwdXM/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">SO MANY OPTIONS. Also my mind is blown by it being 24/7 vego food. I went for the Asian Noodle Bowl, because a) noodles and b) you could get it with tempeh. I was awfully confused by the addition of grated beetroot to the raw toppings upon it (the grated carrot made more sense) (WHY RUIN THINGS WITH BEETROOT), but the broth was beautiful and I loved it.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">I also got a blueberry soy shake (with tofulati ice cream) and we got two pieces of pie to take home with us. The pies we selected were the Noh Pie (no sweet, no eggs, no dairy, no wheat, banana-date-nut cream pie) and an apple blueberry pie. These were super tasty! The Noh Pie was more like a cheesecake kind of thing (best cold), and the apple blueberry had a lovely crust and was not too tart.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">The atmosphere is very laid back and casual, and it's exactly the sort of place I'd expect to be down the road from a weed shop.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"><a href="http://www.thenaam.com/">The Naam</a></div><div class="p1">2724 West Fourth Ave</div><div class="p1">Vancouver</div><div class="p1">open 24-7</div><div class="p1">Accepts cards</div><br /><div class="p1">One step to enter; didn’t check the toilets. (Alex says “accessible is not a word I would use to describe it”)</div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-41653228052701073292014-04-06T21:50:00.003+10:002014-04-06T21:50:50.550+10:00white pasta sauce (also good for hot chips)<div class="p1">I've never been very good at white sauces: they're not a thing I ever ate as a child (unless they were part of a hor fun, which is a different kind of white sauce all together), and I considered white sauce a different, unusual, completely foreign thing. It was a special treat, and certainly not anything I had any experience with at home.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Since I've been vegan I've failed at every recipe I've turned my hand to; so it was with great delight that last week I was feeling lazy and magically a white sauce appeared as my dinner.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">So I stole this from Emma in talk and texts, and turned it into a recipe. On Friday it was leftovers of pasta with this sauce plus hot chips + potato cakes from the local fish and chippery; tonight I fried thin strips of tempeh and thinly sliced mushrooms in some teriyaki sauce to top it all with. It's versatile and delicious, and next I think I'm going to try it as a béchamel on a lasagne.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">There are no pictures because you've seen an ugly brown/cream sauce before.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">So I present to you, a super delicious but relatively easy white pasta sauce.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><br /><div class="p2">Dice <b>half a brown onion</b>, and brown it (ha!) in <b>2 tablespoons of nuttelex/margarine</b>, before adding a <b>minced clove of garlic</b> and half a teaspoon of <b>dried chilli flakes</b>. Careful with the chilli, I basically killed my flattie Bella this evening by choosing to use about two tablespoons of chilli. I just like chilli, okay?</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">When it's all brown and delicious smelling, add a heaped tablespoon of (vegan, obvs) powdered&nbsp;<b>chicken-flavoured stock</b> (ILU, Massels), and 2 tablespoons of <b>plain flour</b>. Mix it all in, add a dash or three of <b>milk</b>, stir again, add some more milk and maybe some water and create a roux, then dash to the sink as you hurriedly drain and rinse a can of <b>cannelleni beans</b>. Add these to the pot, then stir and let simmer. Simmer simmer simmer, adding more water or milk as necessary, until you're happy with it. Mash some of those beans up, then simmer a bit longer. Hurrah, a sauce!</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2">Tonight I also added teeny tiny diced carrots in the latter stages, simmering them until softened, and some frozen peas to the cooking pasta spirals, and of course the fried tempeh and mushies. Emma definitely had fresh spinach, basil and kale, all added after the sauce was taken off the heat, and also probably some other exciting things because I remember it being quite bulky. I would love to try this as a sauce over cauliflower and sweet potato.&nbsp;</div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-76925403713894760302014-04-03T11:26:00.000+11:002014-04-03T11:26:47.068+11:00tea adventures at travelling samovarLast Saturday Emma and I took Puppeh for a walk down Rathdowne Street to Travelling Samovar, a tea house we've both been meaning to visit for about a year, since it first opened.<br /><br />Travelling Samovar has a wide range of teas and tea sampling. The staff are super helpful, and knowledgeable, and are happy to provide hot water to give a second (or, in my case, with my pu-er, fifth and sixth) brew.<br /><br />I was intrigued to learn that not many people know what pu-er is! But Travelling Samovar has an extensive pu-er range, so I totally went for a loose leaf that comes packed in a dried tangerine skin. It smelt amazing, like jaffas, and although I'm not sure the tangerine skin impacted the flavour of the tea it did enhance the overall experience, so I'm into it. I did the full gong fu with my pu-er, until I was tingling from being tea drunk.<br /><br />Emma went the tea sample option (called a tea-ser), picking darjeeling because she loves it. This came in three pots: a Gielle 1st flush; an Oaks 2nd flush; and a Risheehat 2nd flush. This was a great way of knowing what one likes and trying it until the perfect one is found, which I appreciate.<br /><br />Emma's tray of teas included timers, clear pots, and extra hot water. Combined with my gong fu, this was an excellent experience because I appreciate being given responsibility over my tea. There are other tea houses in Melbourne which are fun, but the thing I love the most about my tea (especially my Chinese tea) is the ability to experiment with it, to control the steeping and the pouring and also the drinking of it as I want.<br /><br />This was a fun morning. Although at first I was offput by the cost - $10 for my pu-er - the fact that I could basically drink it until I was tea drunk means it was a price I was in the end content with.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.travellingsamovar.com.au/">Travelling Samovar</a><br />412 Rathdowne Street<br />Carlton Northstephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-63724977205384279422014-03-30T15:57:00.000+11:002014-03-30T15:57:10.035+11:00the brunswick mess hall, brunswickMarch is a swathe of birthdays for me, across the city, the country and the world, I feel like every day I am crying out "Happy Birthday!" or "生日快乐" or "I'm sorry I forgotttttttttt." So I can never make it to all birthday celebrations, but this year one celebration I made it to was Ash's 30th birthday dinner, at the Brunswick Mess Hall.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D39hDHVyZ6c/UzeggHhxTbI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/3lxtnp9jru4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D39hDHVyZ6c/UzeggHhxTbI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/3lxtnp9jru4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>Arriving quite late, as this dinner was one of three events I needed to make it to this chilly Thursday evening, my ordering was a bit of a mess but I did seize quite shortly upon the Bramble Fairy cocktail, because a) it's a bramble fairy! and b) it contains jam. This was excellent, and the Mess Hall has a large array of very excellent cocktails for ordering and some lovely, helpful bar staff. Look at that adorable little pink thing! So pink. And a spotty paper straw.<br /><br />Sadly, the enthusiasm I felt for the cocktails could not be continued over to the food menu. In the end I settled on the pad thai, which they cheerfully made vegan for me; and it was perfectly servicable, and when it took a million years to appear and only came out after Ash yelled at someone, they also refunded me so that was some excellent service.<br /><br />The atmosphere is lovely, and I did enjoy my cocktail, so it's a shame that there's a second sadly. Let me recite some of the cocktail names for you: The Saigon Colonies Cocktail; The Ping Pong Special; Samurai's Mist. Good work, everybody! Good, racist work. With their food coming from the "Lucky Panda" kitchen and this frustrating, pan-asian and also appropriative (there's a pinata there somewhere) menu and packages, I'm probably not a return. How many appropriative and upsetting restaurants can Melbourne really support? Apparently like a poo-million (a word I stole from <a href="http://ballroomblintz.wordpress.com/">Hayley</a> yesterday and do not plan to return).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thebrunswickmesshall.com.au/">The Brunswick Mess Hall</a><br />400 Sydney Road<br />Brunswick<br /><br />Ordering at tables, eft/cc available, didn't check the toilets. Forgot about the entry. GF available.<br /><br />Other Melbunnies: <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/the-brunswick-mess-hall.html">Cindy + Michael</a>&nbsp;(ps there were DEFINITELY no 油条 on the menu;&nbsp;<a href="http://melbournemademoiselle.com/2013/12/08/night-of-mess-brunswick-mess-hall-and-messina/">Melbourne Mademoiselle</a>.stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-13117960561968032892014-03-25T20:05:00.002+11:002014-03-25T20:05:27.380+11:00hungry birds, brunswick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bHN95afYWQ/UzFGq430awI/AAAAAAAAAT0/TGL-kCTN0JM/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bHN95afYWQ/UzFGq430awI/AAAAAAAAAT0/TGL-kCTN0JM/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>A quick flyby post: spicy pinto beans with tortilla chips and rye bread and a side of avocado, for brunch with friends on a rainy Sunday morning. SO TASTY. Such a lovely morning, sitting in an art gallery. I wouldn't want to have sat outside, I bet it's lovely on a sunny day. $21.50 for beans + avo plus SFW.<br /><br />Steps to enter, split bills. Didn't check the toilet. Down a little alley.<br /><br />Hungry Birds<br />242 Victoria Street<br />Brunswick<br /><br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-73117356840228929282014-01-25T10:23:00.001+11:002014-01-25T10:25:24.529+11:00the bear cafe, fitzroyBecause what Fitzroy needs is more reasons for me to lament that I live a whole 1.5km away from it, yesterday Danni and I visited The Bear Cafe, on Brunswick Street.<br /><br />The Bear Cafe is an all vegan cafe, aside from the dairy option they offer in their coffees and hot drinks. Their menu is classic cafe, with scrambled tofu, vegemite and cheese toasties, and a soup of the day, but who cares about those things when I can order a Big Breakfast?!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4WAmDi4aJo/UuLzyJxg1mI/AAAAAAAAAS0/PhXX4uViEPs/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4WAmDi4aJo/UuLzyJxg1mI/AAAAAAAAAS0/PhXX4uViEPs/s1600/photo.JPG" height="200" width="147" /></a>The Big Breakfast comes with scrambled tofu, mushrooms, spinach, chilli guacamole and beans on your choice of sourdough. The beans were out for the day (to be fair, we were having lunch at 1430), so I got extra fuscram, on a pumpkin sourdough. This was delicious and exactly what I wanted, but I wish there was a little more of the promised chilli - I couldn't taste it at all, though I could see it. Some of us are Malaysian and need our chilli every day!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_4rSLAmlGvU/UuLzyKYBRwI/AAAAAAAAASw/dLWbSdo20xo/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_4rSLAmlGvU/UuLzyKYBRwI/AAAAAAAAASw/dLWbSdo20xo/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="147" width="200" /></a>Danni went with the Double Down, which is essentially the same as the Big Breakfast but encased in three slices of olive bread, and in her case also included the melty vegusto cheese, which she declared delicious. Despite its size Danni hoovered this straight down.<br /><br />The Bear Cafe has a coffee delivery service within 1km, which is what first attracted us to the cafe; the coffee was indeed, as promised on their facebook page, pretty good (their sign says 'best coffee in the universe' but I take my signage with a grain of salt). Service is laid back and lovely and friendly. They also sell Neo Tokyo items, bamboo toothbrushes (panda friendly), and fresh fruit and vegies. Their photos lead me to believe sometimes there are puppies, but I didn't spot any on this visit.<br /><br />We think it used to be a dry cleaners; agree?<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bear-Cafe/411756705573879">The Bear Cafe</a><br />439 Brunswick Street<br />Fitzroy<br /><br />Get there on the 112 (the stop is directly outside). Toilet wasn't working so no assessment. CC available. GF options (including GF bread) available.<br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-25104840591246738992013-12-07T23:11:00.000+11:002013-12-07T23:11:51.419+11:00brazilian carrot cake of deliciousness (with orange and chocolate)After a week of watching the Great British Bake Off S4 (I love Sue), it was time to bake Danni's birthday cake. It didn't rise super well and there are things I would change, but a friend said "I never liked carrot cake before, but I loved this!",* and I think that's a job well done.<br /><br />This cake is moist, fragrant when cut into, and retains a beautiful flavour. The carrot, chocolate and orange all work very well together. I would have baked this again immediately but for a sugar, carrot and flour emergency in my kitchen.<br /><br />This recipe came to me via <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/brazilian-carrot-cakes.html">Cindy</a>, but I changed it up a bit.<br /><br />Brazilian Carrot Cake (called such because the recipe's original progenitor is Brazilian)<br /><br />cake ingredients:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZtr-y9Bks8/UqMOyhBnqTI/AAAAAAAAASE/rgbSnbKa-Fs/s1600/caekcarrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZtr-y9Bks8/UqMOyhBnqTI/AAAAAAAAASE/rgbSnbKa-Fs/s320/caekcarrot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>2 cups plain flour<br />1 cup sr flour<br />1.5 tbl baking powder<br />pinch salt<br />1.5 cups sugar (I used a combo brown, coconut and castor due to a dire sugar emergency in my kitchen)<br />400g carrots, coarsely grated<br />5 tbl soy milk<br />3/4 cup vegetable oil<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />half an orange's juice + zest<br /><br />chocolate deliciousness for the top:<br />2 tablespoons cocoa<br />4 tablespoons sugar<br />2 tablespoons nuttelex<br />2 tablespoons soy milk<br />10g dark chocolate couverture<br /><br />for on top of the top:<br />some dark chocolate couverture<br />a handful of walnuts<br /><br />to make it a cake:<br /><br />set ovens to <strike>stun</strike>180C.<br />sift together flours, baking powder, salt and sugar. in a blender combine carrots, soy milk, vegetable oil, orange elements and vanilla extract. pulse together until a thick, rough, fluorescent orange goop appears. mix through the dry ingredients.<br /><br />pour into a greased baking tin, and bake for about 40 minutes; at which point, bake at 170C for another ten minutes. allow to mostly cool.<br /><br />over a low flame, mix together the elements of the chocolate deliciousness. when it's all melted and smooth, allow to boil for a minute and then take off the heat. put aside to cool for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.<br /><br />chop up the walnuts, shave the chocolate. before the chocolate deliciousness can set, pour gently over the cake. top with walnuts and extra chocolate.<br /><br />serve at your bestie's birthday dinner, and be annoyed when there's none left to eat later because everyone gobbled it up despite being full of burgers.<br /><br /><br /><br />* where do we think this comma goes? '!",' seems awkward.stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-69336071478138655432013-12-03T23:44:00.001+11:002013-12-03T23:44:21.670+11:00weekend waffles at mr nice guyI think by now most Melbourne vegos are aware of the 100% vegan delights to be found at Mr Nice Guy. But what you might not know is that their expansion from sweet goods has moved into savoury and meal foods, which I highly recommend. On a recent visit to the Ascot Vale shop with K the <a href="http://inthemoodfornoodles.blogspot.com.au/">Moody Noodle</a> and <a href="http://melbournewiththerocket.wordpress.com/">Ms Fi</a>, there were bagels and cornbreads (gf) consumed; and on an even more recent visit with both Moody Noodles (and Danni and her E) there were spinach and cheese scrolls, sausage inna bun, and even more bagels. But most important of all, on weekends they veer back into more sweetness, and make available a gluten-free, fructose-free, and corn-free waffle.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DoyANRX1GLM/Up3QdgvWnfI/AAAAAAAAARs/akSU9uqnWsI/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DoyANRX1GLM/Up3QdgvWnfI/AAAAAAAAARs/akSU9uqnWsI/s200/photo+(10).JPG" width="200" /></a>My friends, do not be that person with their skeptical face on. These waffles are so good. They come in three flavours (caramel + banana, original, and strawberry + chocolate), and they are all good, and the only thing that could make them more perfect would be if the icecream were made onsite and not that So Good vanilla stuff. There was the perfect amount of toppings to make it excellently covered and not too sweet. I finished my waffle and was perfect but could not move, could barely roll on out of the shop.<br /><br />Of late I also recommend the chocolate babka and the blt bagel, which are available along with some cupcakes at the Prahran shopfront.<br /><br />Nobody else has reviewed the waffles yet, get on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.misterniceguy.com.au/">Mr Nice Guy</a><br />151 Union St Ascot Vale (get there on the 59 tram)<br />Prahran Markets, Commercial Rd Sth Yarra (get there on the 72 tram)<br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-71501610442312325102013-11-29T01:17:00.000+11:002013-11-29T01:17:04.479+11:00icecreams and sundaes out and aboutYesterday was 32C here in old Melbourne-town, and despite today's amazing and delightful rain and coat weather it truly is heading towards summer, so I've started meeting people out and about for fancy iced treats.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hKyCu2JpS78/UpdO53ypJlI/AAAAAAAAARA/fOMemPWdiRg/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hKyCu2JpS78/UpdO53ypJlI/AAAAAAAAARA/fOMemPWdiRg/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="320" /></a><br />Notable eats so far:<br /><b>Coconut + Sago Sundae</b> - <a href="http://www.stali.com.au/">St Ali South</a> (pictured)<br />At $13.50 this sundae is not cheap, but it's also giant, gluten free, filling, and totally shareable between two people, which I wish is how I'd eaten it. It's served with gluten-free muesli, pineapple, mango, and topped with freeze-dried fruit. I ordered it without the pineapple, and despite my scepticism re: the muesli I was totally into it. It was very, very rich though, which is surprising to me given it's on the breakfast menu. I would eat again, but only if I was feeling rich and could share it with someone. 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne<br /><br /><b>En-Thai-Sing</b> - <a href="http://www.gelatomessina.com/">Gelato Messina</a><br />$9, still pretty exxy, but SO INTO IT. Pandan and coconut sorbet, mango, simple but delicious. Desperately want to make coconut and pandan sorbet this summer at home. I believe their menu also includes a huge range of delicious dried fruits including dragonfruit, and a ginger and five spice pudding. They also do a chocolate sorbet, which intrigues me. I would eat this again but probably not too often, and definitely not while their queue goes halfway down Smith Street. Also that NAME, geez. The owner had better be South East Asian is all I'm saying. 237 Smith St, Fitzroy<br /><br /><b>Passionfruit Sorbet with Chocolate Soya Icecream</b> - <a href="http://casadelgelato.com.au/">Casa del Gelato</a><br />This is my standard, I will never part from it, it is the best combination so give it a go. Casa is the best because they have so many vegan options including baci, and also they are just down the road from my house. Cones start from $5. I just wish they'd engage in some queue management on beautiful days when you have to push five people deep. 163 Lygon St, Carlton<br /><br /><b>Blood Orange Sorbet</b> - <a href="http://www.springstreetgrocer.com.au/">Spring St Grocer</a>/Primavera Gelateria<br />Primavera Gelateria does a variety of rotating flavours, with at least two dairy free on each of my visits. I think it was $6 for a scoop, so it's exxy but it's good. 157 Spring St, Melbourne<br /><br />Eats to which I'd like to extend:<br /><b>Frozen Cheezecake</b> - <a href="http://merrycupcakes.com.au/">Merry Cupcakes</a><br />I miss ice cream cake a lot. I hope this will turn out to make up for that. 261 Brunswick St, Fitzroy<br /><br />Any icy highlights come your way yet? Please share the icy love.stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-48274042933153184502013-11-21T11:54:00.000+11:002013-11-21T11:54:03.566+11:00totally not feeling the good food night noodle markets<div class="p1">Let's talk Pasar Malam.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Pasar Malam (or night market) is a stalwart of my childhood: many evenings spent swinging my legs under my chair, eating my char kuay teow or my lontong and slurping on my freshly squeezed watermelon juice, served to me in a clear plastic bag. The noise and the clatter of two dozen stalls, woks hissing, and over it all the yelling and the chatter. The floors were always solid, the chairs plastic and uncomfortable. The food was fast, and cheap, and if I was feeling picky I'd stand with the lady at the front and add and remove things from my order until my char kuay teow was perfect (I've never liked prawns, or chinese sausage), and this was not an inconvenience, it was merely an expectation.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">There are other Night Markets, across the rest of Asia and indeed the rest of the world; but to Australians, the image of a night market most frequently conjures something like a pasar malam.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">This week, the Night Noodle Markets have come to Melbourne as part of Good Food Month, and it is nothing like this.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">If you were lucky enough to gain entry on Monday night (25 000 people attended, and some were turned away at the gates), you might have passed through a Shinto Arch, erected at the Western Entrance. That's funny, you might think. Shinto temples do indeed host festivals, and I've had some delicious noodles at festivals held on Shinto grounds, but they're nearly always religious and the Shinto Arch, religious as it is, seems an odd choice for a pan-asian food festival.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">To one side are the food trucks. If you're wondering where you're going, there's poorly planned signage: with streets like Lotus Avenue, Jasmin (sic) Way, Orchid Lane and Peppercorn Lawn, coupled with the Shinto Arch and the names of some of the vendors, perhaps you're thinking about losing your way.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">The Night Noodle Markets are nothing like what they're trying to evoke: they're trying to evoke something South East Asian. The Good Food Month webpage talks about SEAzn experiences, describing the market as hawker-style, and even quotes Teage Ezard (of Ezard), saying about his first pasar malam experience in KL: "I ate late at night with a local who took care of our ordering. We ate a huge amount for next to nothing!"&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Here's what I ate on Monday night:</div><div class="p2">Mint, ginger and lemon iced tea: $5</div><div class="p2">Serving of sweet potato fries (not that large) and one single spring onion pancake from Ghost Kitchen: $10.50&nbsp;</div><div class="p2">Pandan, coconut and mango sundae (called the En-Thai-Sing, which, ew but also lol): $9</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Originally I joined the Wonderbao queue, because I've never tried Wonderbao and I've heard many a good thing. However after standing in the queue for ten minutes and not moving a single step, I ditched it and wandered over to the food trucks, where at least the queues were faster, though dumplings were still $2.50 each.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Street food across Asia is a success because it's ordinary, cheap, accessible and fast. Vendors often do only two or three things but they do those two or three things well, and fast, and to order, which none of the vendors were doing. As a vegan, when I'm hanging in the pasar malams of Penang with my sceptical extended family I never have any problems modifying my dish to get exactly what I want. Asian street food gets a bad rap amongst vegos, which is totally unfair - I so rarely have problems, particularly in SEA, due to the fact it is literally put together in front of me. It is always convenient, cheap, fast, and exactly what I want. The food available at the Night Noodle Markets is none of these things, and is the antithesis of a pasar malam in every way.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">In part, this is due to the participating vendors. To get a more accurate night market we should be staring down the face of Camy's Dumpling House, a Dessert Story or two, and the Noodle Kingdom. Some of the vendors come from outside the CBD (Footscray and Burwood), and some are lower range, but for the most part the vendors were all inner-city, catering to toned-down Asian (ie, for white people) mid-range to high-range dining. The Good Food website describes the vendors as "Top-notch eateries." If I wanted to eat at a top-notch eatery at higher than usual prices, I'd go to those eateries and book a table. That's not what a night market is for. &nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">This is different from the specific cultural events like the Melbourne Malaysia Festival, which are usually run in partnership and aimed at both those whose culture is being eaten, and those who just want to share in our deliciousness. This superficial pan-Asian (but not even really) event appeals to us, but ultimately cannot meet our expectations, because they're not designed for us, the Asian-Australians (or Asian Expats) who long for these things familiar to us. This event is not that event. This is exotification and appropriation, dressed to be Good Food. Good Food is special, by this definition. Hawker food is not Good Food, and there will never be a real pasar malam if this is all we can aim for: an event for those who love us for a specifically modified image of our food, rather than its reality.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Even the setting was like nothing out of a pasar malam. When I arrived, everything was wide and spread out, necessitating a five minute trek between sections. When I was leaving, there were queues at each entrance, with people being turned away or choosing to turn themselves away and venture into the CBD for their dinner. 25 000 people visited on that first evening, and that is a fucking nightmare by any standards, in a space the size of Alexandria Gardens. The queues at each vendor were ridiculous, and often poorly managed, and a commenter on the Good Food webpage mentioned that it closed at 9pm, which is hardly late at all given sunset is currently 20:16.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">The punters were heavily on the asian-side, which isn't a surprise: we love our night markets (a generalisation by which I will stand). The servers at a number of the venues were not-Asian, though, and this is not an article on authenticity (which is why I haven't really talked about the food) but it does serve to support the idea that this is a Night Noodle Market that doesn't really meet Our Asian Needs: it's got some familiar elements, but it's not exactly what we want, the cheapness, the accessibility, the speediness, the convenience.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">This failure and disappointment was inevitable, given the lack of a real pasar malam. A part of a night market is, in its way, its accessibility and familiarity. A pasar malam should not be an Event - it should just be a thing. Perhaps the real answer is not a Good Food Month night market which runs (poorly) for two weeks out of the year, but a year-round (or summer round) under cover pasar malam, with actual prices (not show prices - Hayley, my companion in this adventure, noted that Wonderbao had increased its prices approximately $1 per item for the market). It leads to the question, then: at whom is Good Food Month aimed, if the Good Food Month Night Noodle Market met none of the assumed criteria. What defines good food? Surely the very definition of good food as presented here, with Chin-Chin and Longrain right here before us, cannot include hawker food. Perhaps the actual real answer is not a year-round pasar malam: perhaps the answer is that Melbourne can't support a real pasar malam, because costs are too high and there's no established history of it and who is going to establish it and keep it running? I'd like to say it'll be me, but it really won't.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">Actual Night Market food, it seems, and an actual night market, is not good enough for Good Food Month.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2">And there was a detestable lack of noodles.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><br /><div class="p2">The Night Noodle Markets are held at Alexandria Gardens from now until November 30th. Entry is free. Don't go.&nbsp;</div>stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-56915381006900733852013-11-18T23:05:00.005+11:002013-11-19T00:11:07.962+11:00lunching and music at little king<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFK2KSah-Ko/UooB0zbBLII/AAAAAAAAAQM/CTf5Pwng5iE/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFK2KSah-Ko/UooB0zbBLII/AAAAAAAAAQM/CTf5Pwng5iE/s200/photo+(8).JPG" width="200" /></a>Today I ventured in to Little King twice: once, to see my friends play at 9am, as part of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/664852553546079/">Melbourne Music Week</a>; and the second time, to meet <a href="http://ballroomblintz.wordpress.com/">Hayley</a> for lunch before we ventured off for an afternoon of art and criticism (and later, crowds and <a href="http://melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/nightnoodlemarkets">a severe lack of noodles</a>&nbsp;- review to follow probably Wednesday).<br /><br />Little King is a tiny little cafe just off Flinders Lane, behind St Paul's Cathedral, situated in the alley that links the Westin with Fed Square (across several roads). And before this weekend when my friends told me I needed to go, I'd never heard of it (despite its regularly vego menu and its adorableness). It's a beautiful spot, when it's not filled with chefs from the Westin smoking, and at 9am on a lovely warm day it was a great place to listen to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prudencereeslee.com/">Prudence Rees-Lee</a> play (my friends are her harpist and her percussionist).<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEIo4GCV4xo/UooCFoYUE7I/AAAAAAAAAQg/XRo7KTFDKTY/s1600/photo+2+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEIo4GCV4xo/UooCFoYUE7I/AAAAAAAAAQg/XRo7KTFDKTY/s200/photo+2+(1).JPG" width="200" /></a>After the lunch rush (and racing home to do some work), I zoomed back down on my bike, which I locked to the gate (a serious lack of parking on Flinders Lane on the east side of Swanston! Totally outrageous), and settled down to wait for a delayed Hayley with my book and my notebook and a coffee served in a totally adorable cup and saucer.<br /><br />Little King's menu changes daily, based on what they feel like making. It's mostly vegetarian. There's some vegan baked goods and a soup (today: vegan pumpkin and leek), but today despite the simplicity of it all I elected for the avocado on toast with a bit of tomato. Topped with some lemon and pepper and a bit of herbs and things, and served on some sour dough, this was actually really lovely and I had no regrets.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_qZLkERfTM/UooCEd_UbbI/AAAAAAAAAQU/pMAJ_n3a484/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_qZLkERfTM/UooCEd_UbbI/AAAAAAAAAQU/pMAJ_n3a484/s200/photo+3.JPG" width="200" /></a><br /><span style="text-align: center;">I bought a berry friand to snack on later. Total costs came to about $20 for the lot. Seating is some excellently hipster boxes and tables at the same height, and the venue is awfully inaccessible with misc steps all over the place. Credit card facilities are available.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><a href="http://littlekingcafe.com/">Little King</a><br />4/209 Flinders Lane<br />(just behind St Paul's Cathedral)<br />Melbourne CBDstephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-51787334415234574992013-10-20T22:16:00.002+11:002013-10-20T22:20:30.243+11:00vegie mum, doncasterWhen I first went vego Lotus, the Chinese-Malaysian restaurant in Northbridge, was my life saver, giving me all the delicious comfort foods that I required without schlepping out to my parental house or cooking it myself. The biggest problem with Malaysian food is all the secretly animal stuff, the cockles in your laksa and the lard in your CKT, which requires intense questioning deng deng boring lah, so I usually just have to make it myself.<br /><br />So I've always wanted to go to Vegie Mum in Doncaster, because I'd heard it was Chinese-Malaysian vego but whenever I tried to go I was prevented by things like Chinese New Year and failing to book, or the lack of PT out there and my lack of car ownership (no regrets).<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lTwOX-yyXU4/UmO6BKMucKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/XRiP4VZYsDk/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lTwOX-yyXU4/UmO6BKMucKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/XRiP4VZYsDk/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="320" /></a>Anyway now I have been twice in the last three months, and it is all <a href="http://melbournewiththerocket.wordpress.com/">Fiona</a>'s fault as she lives in the dreaded Eastern Suburbs and can't travel very far because baby. We even went there this week, which<a href="http://melbournewiththerocket.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/vegie-mum-and-beckett-park/"> Fi has already blogged</a>! Plus added park.<br /><br />Because we are not heathens Chinese-Malaysian food is, like regular Chinese food, a sharing kind of thing, except when you are selfish like me and insist that it's very important you get char siu noodle soup because it's one of your favourite things to eat ever and you never get to eat it because you're not gonna make your own vegan char siu.<br /><br />I did this, and then Fi ordered the laksa because she had never had it before quite recently and now like all good people loves it, and then I tasted her soup and I have never before experienced such regrets. Next time I am gonna eat that laksa for sure. Look at that mock prawn! The only downside of the laksa is that it contains eggplant, which is a crime against laksa. There is no downside to the char siu noodles, except a) it's not laksa and b) you have to remember to specify not wonton noodles, because wonton noodles contain secret egg.<br /><br />I have previously eaten their CKT (which is excellent); their kari kapitan and roti (good); and their spring rolls (nothing special).<br /><br />Vegie Mum is pretty standard suburban Chinese except for its vegetarianness; the tables are plastic and so are the chairs, it's all bright white tiles and a little dingy. There's a small step in to the restaurant, can order and pay at the table; CC is taken. There are always people in there, and the menu is in Chinese and English. The Chinese Malaysian owner doesn't seem to believe that I'm Malaysian, so one day I'm gonna take my mother in there and really pointedly talk in Hokkien or Manglish or something.<br /><br /><b>Vegie Mum</b><br />27 Village Ave<br />Doncaster<br />Not open Mondaysstephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-9770241338362460722013-10-13T22:39:00.002+11:002013-10-13T22:46:09.822+11:00sconeshow i spent my sunday night, by stephanie a penguinface (aged 31 and a bit)<br /><br />a) cooking japchae<br />b) watching and writing about Serangoon Road (<a href="http://no-award.net/tag/serangoon-road/">new blog posts</a> on this show occur every Monday morning on my blog No Award; I live tweet my rage at @yiduiqie on Sunday nights)<br />c) scones (sweet scones are the best okay)<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_kkzUUSomck/UlqEnN0eQtI/AAAAAAAAAPY/0Bw72TFhfWs/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_kkzUUSomck/UlqEnN0eQtI/AAAAAAAAAPY/0Bw72TFhfWs/s320/photo+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b>scones are easy and delicious</b><br /><br />to make them you need: 2.5 cups of SR flour<br />one third of a cup of sugar (pref white)<br />30g marg/nuttelex/etc<br />half cup milk<br />half cup water<br />1tsp apple cider vinegar<br />half cup sultanas (optional)<br /><br />extra sugar and flour<br /><br />add milk + vinegar; set aside.<br /><br />rub together sugar, flour and marg; add sultanas if you're adding them. make a well, pour in all liquids, mix with a knife or something but don't over mix i learnt this the hard way. flatten out to 2cm (i just pat them with my hands) on a floured surface. cut out (i use a tumbler), sprinkle with the extra sugar, bake at 220C for 15 mins or until golden brown. eat straight away plain or i guess you could use jam or something but why wait.<br /><br />i've taken to taking out a cup of the flour+sugar+nuttelex mixture so i can make a non-sultana batch of about five for non sultana people eating; so this batch made in total 13.<br /><br />i'm not saying i accidentally used plain flour this evening and had to desperately try and save it with baking powder but uuhhh see pt d below<br /><br />d) dancing around the house to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9JxTi5ugh0">Laure Shang</a>&nbsp;(visit that song, you won't regret it).<br /><br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583373780153105573.post-89173611318165251732013-10-06T19:13:00.000+11:002013-10-06T22:54:46.528+11:00shu restaurant [collingwood]蜀 is a short form for Sichuan, and Shu is all about the Sichuanese food and flavours, though a little toned down for the Collingwood palate.<br /><br />The dishes at Shu are seasonal and organic where possible. There is no menu, the food you're served is dependent on what's available and what the chef wishes to prepare. And every Wednesday is Vegan Wednesday at Shu, where you can get a 12 dish vegan banquet for $40; and so, having only found out of its existence less than 48 hours earlier, this is what <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com.au/">Cindy and Michael</a>, <a href="http://ballroomblintz.wordpress.com/">Hayley</a> and myself decided to do this Wednesday past.<br /><br />We started with four individual portion dishes: house made tofu with cinnamon-infused soy sauce and a rocket flower (cold); purple carrots with house made pickled chilli and borage (the purple carrot was raw and thinly sliced so it became a sort of plate) (cold); daikon roll with enoki, zucchini flower and cucumber (cold); tofu, soybean and sesame dumplings.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsjiinqWO7c/UlECC2RhUII/AAAAAAAAAO0/YoHdoPgGLTc/s1600/shu-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsjiinqWO7c/UlECC2RhUII/AAAAAAAAAO0/YoHdoPgGLTc/s400/shu-1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />I was especially taken with the cinnamon-infused soy sauce and the house made tofu: the flavours were mild enough to really appreciate the loveliness of the tofu, but I loved the delicate cinnamon-ness of the soy sauce.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylZFzEYfXB0/UlECRZrCwDI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Aan-xLQJIcI/s1600/shu-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylZFzEYfXB0/UlECRZrCwDI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Aan-xLQJIcI/s200/shu-2.png" width="200" /></a>It's good that three of these dishes were cold and therefore we didn't have to eat them in a hurry; four bloggers at a table meant it took approximately a million years to photograph and take notes.<br /><br />This was followed by a mizuna, pickled cucumber and trumpet mushroom salad, and a cashew, kale, broccoli tops and garlic shoot salad. Later in the evening, when yet another greens dish came out (broccoli and cauliflower, this time), this started becoming all a bit overwhelming, but at this point I loved the broccoli top and garlic shoot salad, it had a beautiful light flavour and the garlic shoots were excellent.<br /><br />We also saw dishes with eggplant with broad beans, chilli (lots), calendula and onion; fried tofu with bean shoots and nasturtiums (not spicy at all); and tofu with wild coriander (kind of mapo doufu-y but sad lack of mala).<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wj7QZN4mqv4/UlECTVwon0I/AAAAAAAAAPE/59PVpi8D79M/s1600/shu-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wj7QZN4mqv4/UlECTVwon0I/AAAAAAAAAPE/59PVpi8D79M/s200/shu-3.png" width="200" /></a>We ended with unanimously the greatest dishes of the evening. Dish number 11 was individual portions of fresh noodles, served with asparagus, preserved gailan and a walnut infused oil. This had a lovely flavour, maybe there was sichuan chilli in it (but if so only mildly), and I could definitely have kept on eating these noodles and I'm glad it's not a seasonal dish because I want to eat it again.<br /><br />The final dish was potatoes in a whole lot of spices. Not necessarily hot spicy but my word was it delicious, and I happily ate the last remaining potato in the bowl.<br /><br />The repetition of the green-ness is obviously a restriction of the seasonal element of Shu's menu - though I do not at all criticise them for it - Rebecca and Shu go out to a farm to pick the ingredients every Wednesday and it's all a bit fun. I love the variety of it and the surprise as well, the flavours were lovely (though I could have used some more spiciness, and we'd been warned it was spicy and this was a lie~).<br /><br />I wasn't stuffed full by the end, which was a little disappointment (we walked to <a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/berrissimo.html">Berrissimo</a> for desserts), since I'm used to having too much to eat at a Chinese banquet.<br /><br />I will very cheerfully visit again. I hope there are more adventures in delicious carbs.<br /><br />The service was lovely though disclaimer: Rebecca knew who we all were. The lighting was dim and there was a step going in. I didn't check out the toilets, but Michael broke them so look out for that.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.shurestaurant.com/"><b>Shu Restaurant</b></a><br />147 Johnston Street<br />Collingwood<br /><br /><br /><br />stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751546842854214664noreply@blogger.com8